Warrior's Eyes
by Jac Danvers
Summary: Lin never saw her father, but she knew he had warrior’s eyes. A story that attempts to explain the hurried romance of Lin and Alex.


**I never thought I'd write a fic about the third Mummy movie. I enjoyed it at face value, but it couldn't hold up against the other two. One of my big gripes with the movie was the romance between Alex and Lin, and the ability for them to know that they're in love after approximately 3.5 seconds of being with each other. So, I took it upon myself to fill in those 3.5 seconds. The story is a bit stream-of-conciousness, may be a bit verbose, but when I read it over, I really enjoyed it. I hope you all enjoy it as well (and if not, that's ok too!)!**

**Please review, as I do enjoy any criticism that can help me improve (and compliments are ok too...). I take all advice into consideration in future writing, so everything is greatly appreciated! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mummy, nor the characters mentioned in this story.**

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**Warrior's Eyes**

I never saw my father, but I know he had warrior's eyes. He had eyes that, in times of peace, could soothe and calm my mother's nerves. Eyes that in times of war could, with one steely gaze, set the enemy running back to their leader, begging him to surrender to China. They were the eyes that guided the empire.

It was an overly romanticized notion, one that troubled me for many years. My mother was wise and intelligent- there was no doubting that. Her logic had allowed her to survive long after my father's death, allowed her to imprison Emperor Han and protect Shangri-La. She could speak to the ancestors; could perform the most complex spells of restoration and rejuvenation. Yet, when she spoke of Ming Guo, she was not the woman who raised me.

Love and logic should not mix- there was nothing logical about love. Warrior's eyes were a concept with no illustration, an enigma.

At twenty-five, my mother explained to me the curse of our immortality. To live forever, there must be a price. A price greater than the constant duty of guarding Han's tomb. For her it was eons without the man she loved.

Centuries passed, and I could not understand the two sides of my mother, nor the price she spoke of. I did not ask her about it again; rather I guarded the emperor, fulfilling my duty to my mother. I killed men—was this the price Mother meant? Should I have felt guilt, when these men threatened the very existence of their own world?

I couldn't.

Two thousand years is a long time to be alone. It did not bother me at first, but the separation from my mother in Shangri La grew harder as the years went on. Friendship and marriage were never an option. My role in this world was clear, my life dedicated to protecting a humanity that would never acknowledge my work.

Still, temptations of the flesh abounded. All too willingly, I gave in, just to feel close to someone for a few moments. In the dangerous Peking nights, as Kublai Khan and his Mongol army approached and threatened to takeover, I threw myself into the arms of a soldier of the empire. His body was muscular, his hair soft. Most would think him handsome, but I could not. I found myself searching for warrior's eyes, and I could not find them.

I never found out if he died in battle. I imagine he did. The disappointment I felt, that I could not find what my mother spoke of, prevented any further contact with the mortal world. I hid in the darkness of the tomb, waiting for the trespassers I had sworn to stop.

Until he came.

The man had light hair, and brown eyes. He was European, or American- I could hear a bit of an accent in his voice, but nothing distinct. He walked with a swagger, cocky and arrogant. Here was a man who had the good life handed to him on a silver platter. Desecrating the tomb and achieving fame at his discovery would only serve to inflate his ego. I knew I had to stop him.

He was easy to sneak up on. So focused he was on the frozen warriors, that I easily jumped down the dark shaft and onto his back. We struggled, neither capable of achieving dominance in the fight. Palm against palm, knees and elbows thrown carelessly in combat. As we fought, I heard a rope snap, another trap to warn off explorers set. A large weight began falling, right where the man's head lay.

I held him down, knowing that he would be crushed. Another problem out of the way, the world saved again. He struggled, and in the last minute, managed to move a crate under the heavy stone, leaving him a bit of space to escape. In shock at his resourcefulness, I pulled away. He sat up, looked me over once, then caught my angry glare.

Bright and lively, his eyes stared into mine. They seemed good natured, but there was something more, something I couldn't place. Determination? Strength? I was in danger of staring too long. Quick as I could, I ran, shirking my sacred duty by allowing him to live. His eyes didn't threaten, didn't seem to harbor any animosity, yet they frightened me more than I knew. Was this what Mother spoke of?

I'd hoped that he would leave, would heed my warning to leave the Emperor at rest. Wishes do not make for reality, though. Han was moved from his tomb, and plans to bring the terra cotta demon to a London museum began. I followed the wooden crate baring him to the Embassy store room.

From the shadows, I guarded the emperor. He would not leave China so long as I lived. The curse was mine alone. There was a price I paid for immortality. I would never be able to discover what lay behind the man's intriguing eyes.

A hand pressed against my shoulder. "You never showed up to our second date," he chided. "The name's Alex O'Connell."

The light hit him just the right way, allowing me to examine his face again. Pulling me in, his eyes looked much as they had in the darkness of the tomb. Calming yet deadly, jovial yet prepared for hardship. Alex was a man who had experienced too much for one lifetime. Like I had. As I continued to watch him, the glimmering in his eyes grew warmer, softer. I felt a comfort in his presence, like he too understood our bond.

I'm still not sure what my mother meant when she spoke of my father's eyes, but I think I can see it in Alex. If living with him for a few years requires me to live a thousand millennia without him, I think I could do it. Maybe.

So I agree to let him join in my fight to stop Han. I allow myself to grow closer to him, every moment knowing it will be harder to let him go. But seeing how the memory of warrior's eyes has sustained my mother, against all logic and reason, I begin to understand.

And maybe, just maybe, there wasn't a price to be paid after all.

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**Well, hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!**


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